How We Pitched the Perfect Game for McD’s Out-of-Home

McDonald’s was a dream client for an aspiring copywriter like myself in 2010.

But I never thought that dream would entail holding an open brief for the Golden Arches.

What’s the product? I asked.

Doesn’t matter.

I actually made them say it twice.

Did I hear that right?! Did I receive an open brief for McDonald’s???

Our deliverables were out-of-home billboards for sports sponsorships, but we chose the product.

Everything about the assignment felt legendary: the iconic red and yellow colors, the nickname “McD’s”, and their classic characters. It felt like holding a Golden Ticket.

However, my design partner and I knew we needed to deliver the goods. We also knew McDonald’s iconic French fries have a devout following with less baggage than most other menu items.

As a kid, the post-game fry run was basically a religious experience. So we decided to build everything around the spuds.

We didn’t get started by rushing off to our computers or even using photography, which we had at our fingertips in the Leo Burnett building.

Instead, we began hand-drawing our sketches with Sharpies—a traditional method called Marker Comping.

This kicked us off by immediately physically connecting our hands to the project. There’s something about clicking on a mouse that can’t compare.

Marker comps also give Creative Directors and other stakeholders the opportunity to get involved early. This keeps projects focused, and it prevents wasting time on unfeasible ideas.

For McDonald’s, we used marker comps to start from a simple place, which inspired an arresting visual solution honoring sports. 

Visual solutions can be extremely effective and get shared online frequently. My Creative Directors affectionately called them “stuff made of stuff,” and that stuck with me as very funny. 

This gave us powerful images that made an impact at live events.

My designer and I attended an NCAA game where we launched the work. It was an unreal experience to see it live and watch the student section go wild with our signs. They seemed genuinely psyched to participate.

Thanks to my wonderful Art Director/Designer, Matt Feloni, for the photos.

For me, it was a pinch-me-to-make-sure-I’m-not-dreaming experience to see the passion of our team, the players, and the fans all uniting in one night. Advertising occasionally does that. 

My final thought: Clients, challenge your creative teams with an open brief once a year.

Maybe it’s just one small media buy. Or a thirty-second radio ad. But your creatives need to spread their wings and fly. And at the very least, you’ll get an entertaining presentation made with that one magic ingredient: love. 

Bah-da-da-da-dah…I’m lovin’ it. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself)

Check out my thoughts on visual solutions here:
The One Advertising Idea That’s (Almost) Always Clever

See more from the McDonald’s Sports OOH project